Central Register of Seamen 1941-1972
The Central Register of Seamen came into existence through various strands of legislation and changing conditions. Pre war the National Service (Armed Forces) Act of 1939 laid the basis for conscription into the armed services. All of the relevant ages were required to register with the Ministry of Labour under this Act. Merchant mariners, whether currently or formerly serving, were not exempted, but would not be conscripted into the armed services if they continued to sign onto merchantmen. It should be noted that in the early stages the call up only affected young men between the ages of 20 to 23 though. And, according to the official history (C.B.A. Behrens:
Merchant Shipping and the Demands of War) immediately pre war slightly over 70 per cent of British merchant mariners (excluding Lascars) were over twenty-five. So, with this in mind, the (illogical) perception that there would not be an increased need for merchant mariners in wartime and the natural ‘reserves’ of merchant mariners not only from the normal casual form of recruitment for most, but also through the lean years of under employment of the 1920s and 30s, manning was not seen as an important issue by the then controlling wartime Ministry of Shipping.It would appear that some of the peacetime assumptions (made by the Marine Department of the Board of Trade and inherited by the Ministry of Shipping) went slightly awry. Without the threat of conscription to make mariners (other than within the ages under the National Service Acts) return to the sea there was nothing to make them
stay at sea if they did not want to. In time there was a perception (within the civil service departments) that mariners were creeping ashore, to better-paid and safer jobs. They were also supposedly staying at home between voyages for longer periods than they had done in peacetime. It was also maintained (in the official history) that all the normal ‘disciplinary’ problems associated with the inability to realistically deal with merchant mariner defaulters, especially in relation to not joining and desertion, were magnified in wartime through an increase in these activities - thereby affecting the supply of manpower. And, as far as the R.G.S.S. was concerned it was even possible for the youngsters of conscription age to leave the sea and yet not be called up through not re-registering with the Ministry of Labour. The last was especially so, since around June 1940 the planned mechanism for keeping tabs on those seamen of military age failed. Interestingly, the official history did admit that the civil servants did not understand the full complexity of the matter and in particular to the casualty rates suffered by merchant mariners at sea. Also, it later turned out that the delays in sailing had actually been negligible.After the fall of France the concept of the control of manpower became an important issue, not just for the supply to the armed forces, but also industrially. As of the spring of 1941 a series of Essential Work Orders was the result. The one for the merchant service was formulated later in the year, coming into force in May 1942. Along with the relevant Registration for Employment Order these meant inherent changes to the employment of merchant mariners.
Under this Registration for Employment Order all (civilian) men between 18 and 60 who had served on merchant vessels any time from 1936 onwards were required to register. (It would appear from personal research that women working at sea were ‘encouraged’ to return to shore in 1942.) Employment became continuous, complete with paid leave entitlement. Mariners not on merchantmen were held in ‘the pool’, for redeployment where and when needed. In reality in time there were a number of these pools throughout the world and some for specific operations, such as Overlord - the Invasion of North West Europe. While the National Maritime Board (formed in 1920 as negotiating machinery for the industry) formulated the detail in relation to the pool, most of the day to day administrative work was carried out by the (owners’) Shipping Federation.
Perhaps because of the above (not bringing in the traditional network of mercantile marine offices and other State officials abroad) there were some faults in the system. Some mariners were not included in the system because they had not had the opportunity to register under the Employment Order. If on short haul trips they were taken in when they returned to the United Kingdom. But, others who had been on ocean-going voyages and did not return to the U.K. remained outwith the system - some late into the war. Although these individuals sometimes had some freedoms to leave their vessels abroad (depending on the articles signed) there was also the distinct disadvantage - if their ships were sunk their pay was stopped, as had overwhelmingly been the case up to then.
Post World War the Central Register of Seamen was continued. As can be seen from surviving files, partially this was due to the continuation of conscription into the armed forces, but also because Ministry of War Transport officials were of the opinion that this could be used to future commercial advantage. Unfortunately, this future would prove far from rosy for the merchant service, but the C.R.S. continued to be compiled until 1972.
Although there is comparatively little left in released administrative files, with practical handling by modern researchers more is now understood about this bureaucratic system. There were many different aspects to the C.R.S, as can be found in the numbered forms elsewhere, but the surviving main body at the PRO is made up of two different types of documentation. There are the ‘Docket Books’ (C.R.S. 10) and the ‘Seamen’s Pouches’ (C.R.S. 3).
Unlike the cards of the Central Index Register before it, which are to be seen in microfiche form, the Docket Books are lightweight paper documents, bound together into thousands of books. When the relevant book(s) have been drawn they are simple enough to use, being in alphabetical order. However, there is a potential problem in initially locating them - if one uses the electronic catalogue (PROCAT). This cataloguing is less than helpful. But the paper catalogue has now been updated with the relevant pages and is simple enough to use
The actual information within these documents can be extremely detailed. As well as sea time this may include pensions for injuries received, or medals issued. Unfortunately, no photographic records were kept in these files.
There are a number of sections, covering Europeans, non-Europeans and mariners on a limited ‘war service’. Nevertheless, there are certain limitations that must be kept in mind. As with the C.I.R. mariners who did not touch ports in the U.K. were not included - whatever their nationality. And, during the Second World War period some Allied nations, such as the Norwegians, operated their merchant tonnage in effect as ‘Free’ Merchant Navies in exile. Therefore, these men will also not be included in the British pool system. Also, I have come across a few cases where mariners’ docket book entries have been filed in the incorrect books - such as those of a chap who did not go to sea until 1955 being in the 1941-46 series.
Much less is known about the ‘Seamen’s Pouches’. On discharge various documents apparently were put in these that could include their British Seaman’s Identity Cards, applications for new identity cards and the cards from the earlier C.I.R. Unfortunately large quantities of the earlier pouches have been destroyed: apparently approximately 90,000 of them. Those surviving can be seen only under supervision of P.R.O. staff.
Below gives an idea of the basic type of information given in a Docket Book:-
Example of an entry within a Docket Book in the Central Register of Seamen
Found by chance, there are
some other records from the C.R.S. at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. This small collection of documents is as yet uncatalogued, but can be ordered as ‘Records of Merchant Navy Reserve Pool for WWII’. There are two boxes of these. Within are forms roughly in alphabetical order, bundled together in R.S. 3 pouches stamped ‘INEFFECTIVE’. (Studying these, some at least of these mariners had died or been killed.) This then would seem to indicate that the missing pouches are the result of a post war housekeeping exercise by civil servants.The mariners represented within these would seem to cover all ranks, ratings, races and creeds, on foreign and home trade. The majority of the surviving forms cover three types:-
C.R.S. 2 -
Merchant Navy Personnel - Discharge to Leave and Reserve Pool (also worded as Transfer from Ship to Leave and Reserve Pool)Apart from showing personal details (sometimes including mariners’ next of kin); their last ship and next ship engaged on (the latter only in some cases), it indicates which Merchant Navy Reserve Pool office mariners were to report to and their address while on leave.
C.R.S. 4 -
Entry form to Merchant Navy Reserve Pool (when not direct from sea-going employment)
C.R.S. 54 -
Application for British Seaman’s Identity CardThese include a lot of personal details including Efficient Deck Hand, Ship’s Cook, Lifeboat certificates held; national health insurance society a member of ; unemployment insurance local office; union membership; next of kin; and very often ‘hand and shoulders’ photograph(s).
But there is also a smattering of other forms. From searches so far conducted these include:-
C.R.S. 6 -
Merchant Navy Reserve Pool Absentee ReportSaliently, these give the last known address of mariners this form was raised for
C.R.S. 55 (Revised) -
Application form for British Seaman’s Identity CardThis is a variation on the C.R.S. 54 but also for those lost, damaged and the like.
C.R.S. 65 -
Action sheet - Surrendered or Impounded Identity Card
Exn. 2b -
Application to be examined for a certificate of efficiency as lifeboatman
Hospital Form No. 2A
These show details of discharge from hospital
Strangely, it would appear that only one single document of any of the above types has been kept for individuals. So, for the vast majority of genealogists this collection is of limited use. Nevertheless, it
might be helpful if docket book entries and pouches are missing at the P.R.O.